Improvement in spinning-mules



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

M. MUFFATT. Spinning Mules.

Patented July 8,1873.

AM mom-umasrwnm m mmssanusis moms) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, MICHAEL MOFFATT, OF WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPlNNlNG-MULES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 140,587, dated July 8,1873; application filed April 28, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL MOFFATT, of Watertown, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inSelf-Actin g Mules and Jacks for Spinning, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings making part of this specification, in which--Figure 1 is a perspective view of part of the carriage of a self-actingmule having my improvement applied thereto. Fig.2 is afront elevation ofthe same, portions of the horizontal shaft in front being broken away toshow the parts in the rear. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line a:w of Fig. 2.

In spinning with an ordinary self-actin g mule, when the operator ispaid for the quantity of yarn produced,he often, as the carriage isrunning out, raises by hand the counterfaller or wire running across themachine to regulate the tension upon the yarns or threads and take uptheir slack, in order to prevent the breaking of yarns which have beenpreviously broken and pieced, or which he deems liable to break atpoints where they are thin and weak. This raising of the counter-fallerelevates all of the yarns at once into such a position that they willunwind from their bobbins instead of being drawn out or stretched, asdesired, by the movement of the carriage; and during ll of the time thatthe counter-faller is raised every yarn in the mule is being unwoundfrom its bobbin instead of being drawn out, and consequently, in orderto avoid the breaking of a few yarns, the spinner causes thick anduneven places to be left in all of them to the great disadvantage of themanufacturer.

My invention has for its object to prevent the spinner from thuswillfully injuring the quality of the yarn; and consists in lookingdevices, constructed and applied as hereinafter described, and so as toprevent the counter-faller from being raised until the fallerwire isdepressed, and as the depression of the faller-wire during the runningout of the carriage would instantly cause the breakage of all the yarns,the spinner is not likely to attempt it, and consequently the yarn isdrawn out uniformly and evenly, as required.

To enable others skilled in the art to un derstand and use my invention,I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A represents part of the carriage of a self-actingmule, which is intended to run in and out on wheels (not shown) in theordinary manner. In suitable bearings in the top of the carriage aresupported two horizontal rock-shafts, B G, to one, B, of which issecured the faller-wire D, and to the other, C, the counter-faller E.The faller-wire, when carried down by the rocking of the shaft B, servesto depress all of the yarns from the points of the spindles to bringthem to alevel with the bottoms of the bobbins in the act of winding on,and as the faller-wire is gradually raised the yarn is duly distributedupon the bobbins. The counter-faller E, which extends under the yarns,is employed to take up the slack and produce the required tension. Theshafts B (J are rocked at the required times by automatic mechanism (notshown;) but as the functions of the faller-wire and counter-taller, aswell as the manner in which theyare operated, are well known, they willnot be further described. Secured to one side of the carriage Ais aframe, G, in which slides a horizontal shaft or bolt, 1), to one end ofwhich is pivoted a lever, c, pivoted at d to the frame G. The upper endof this lever 0 extends up over the shaft B, and is bent into the formseen in Fig. 1. e is a spiral spring, which surrounds the bolt 1)between the end of the frame G and an adjustable arm, f, and serves'toretain the bolt in the position seen in Figs. 1 and 2, in which positionits outer end projects into the path of a curved arm, g, secured to theshaft 0, and thus prevents the spinner from raising the counter fallerby hand when the carriage is running out to avoid the breakage of someof the yarns, and which would cause all of the yarns to unwind from thebobbins instead of being drawn out or stretched, as required, thusproducing thick and uneven portions, which it is of great importance toavoid. To the shaft B is secured an adjustable collar,-h, an inclinedprojection, 6, on one side of which extends into the path of thevertical arm f, when the parts are in the position seen in Figs. 1 and2, and thus prevents the spinner from sliding the bolt 7) back by handto enable him to raise the counter-faller.

When the carriage has completed its run ning-out motion, and justprevious to the commencement of the operation of winding the yarn ontothe bobbins, the shaft 13 is automatically rocked by mechanism (notshown) connected therewith, so as to depress the fallerwire D to bringthe yarns down to the bottoms of the bobbins. This rocking of the shaftB causes the inclined portion 7 of a cam, H, secured thereto, to bearagainst the upper bent portion of the lever c, and vibrate itsufficiently to withdraw the end of the bolt 1) out of the path of thecurved arm g against the resistance of the spring 0, the inclinedprojection 6 of the collar 7; being simultaneously moved out of the pathof the arm f. I The bolt 1) having been withdrawn, the counter-faller isfree to be raised by its mechanism, as required, to give the desiredtension to the yarns. After the carriage has been run in and the windingon has beenconipleted, the faller-wire is raised into the position seenin Fig. 1, when thebolt b is shot forward by the spring a, which servesto lock the eounter-faller and prevents the spinner from raising itwithout first depress ing the faller-wire. This he is not likely toattempt, as the depression of the faller-wire, while the carriage isrunning out and the bobbins are whirling at a high speed, would in.-stantly cause every yarn in the mule to be broken, and consequently thefaithful performance of the work is insured.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The taller-shaft B bearing the cam Hand collar h, in combination withthe counter-faller shaft 0 carrying the curved arm g, and the frame Gcarrying the spring-bolt b, the lever 0, and arm f, substantially as andfor the perpose set forth.

fitness my hand this 17th day of April, A. D. 1873.

MICHAEL MOFFATT.

In presence of- P. E. TESCHEMAOHER, N. W; STEARNS.

